More Slate news, and a run to the slopes in our BMW iX
Another podcast appearance, too
Good morning, dear readers. I'm freshly back from an ill-fated afternoon spent down at Lime Rock Park, where I'd hoped to spend the afternoon sliding my MR2 around the infield circuit and skid pad. Sadly, while I spent plenty of time in my car on the infield track, much of it was spent hiding from one hell of a thunderstorm that rolled through shortly after I arrived.
There'd be no running for me, then, as LRP's rules about lightning anywhere near the track ensured that I never turned a wheel in anger. I did, though, get a chance to check out the new condos they're building at the top of the hill. The country clubification of America's racetracks continues.
On to the weekly update. Here's what I got up to in the public eye in the past week.
Where Slate will be built
The Slate news keeps coming, and I was happy to bring something fresh to These Great Internets this week. In chasing down details for a follow-up story, I got exclusive confirmation of where Slate will build their ultra-affordable Truck.
The answer, as it turns out, is a former catalog printing facility in rural Indiana. It's a second chance for the building, which has been empty for a few years. Slate told me they'll be pouring hundreds of millions into the joint to make it capable of, eventually, producing 150,000 vehicles a year. That's a lot, but it's peanuts compared to the cost of building a new factory for traditional EV production.
On The Vergecast
Can't get enough Slate news but sick of reading about the thing? Well, maybe you might want to check out my appearance on this past week's Vergecast. David Pierce and I ran through what makes not only the Truck but the company itself so interesting, and why I'm bullish on Slate's chances -- despite being somewhat skeptical that all the hype will really translate to sales in 18 months time.
A final run to the slopes in the iX
My latest long-term update on our 2024 BMW iX also hit the Web this week over at InsideEVs. This time, it was a rundown of how the thing fared as a shuttle to Vermont. Mount Snow, Vermont, to be specific, one of my favorite mountains in my very favorite state. I try to get out there a half-dozen times or so each winter for a day (or at least a morning) of snowboarding. Sadly, this past winter I only got out there twice, and on this second time there was barely any cover left on the few trails that were still open.
Still, the iX was sublime mountain transport. Its range estimation was spot-on for the outbound leg (not even off by a single percent), and being able to precondition the thing from the lift meant I had a warm car waiting for me when I stepped out of my bindings and started the awkward back-seat shuffle of peeling off layers before the return home.
As an SUV, it's more than we need, but it's surely been a stellar ownership experience so far. I have one more update pending on the iX. This upcoming week, I'm headed down to visit BMW and spend an afternoon behind the wheel of the 2026 flavors of the iX. Suffice to say I have high expectations.
That's all from me for now. In the week ahead, I'm going to be enjoying a final seven days without getting on a plane. The travel starts to pick up for me again through the middle of the month and well into June. I've just received a fresh passport in the mail, my last one having run out of pages for stamps, and I'm looking forward to breaking it in.
Oh, and don't feel too bad about my getting rained out at Lime Rock in the MR2 yesterday. After the storm passed, the skies cleared. I pulled off the T-top roof and had an absolutely lovely, circuitous drive home through the CT and NY countryside. I hope you have yourself an equally refreshing drive, walk, or maybe even nap today.